The Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC), Bethesda, Md., held its 2001 Fall Convention and Expo on October 21-24 at the New Orleans Marriott. Some 44 exhibitors also took advantage of the opportunity to showcase their products and services directly to manufacturers in the adhesives and sealants industry during the Exposition on Oct. 23.

The program featured leading-edge technical talks delivered from the perspectives of "global" presentations. Topics within the adhesives and sealants sessions included end-use applications, environmental and biodegradable usage, current market trends, emerging trends in technology and e-commerce, and many other valuable areas of interest.

Eldert-Jan Van Herk, illbruck Sealant Systems, Inc., served as the convention chair and as a session chair. Susan W. Graham, Rohm and Haas Co., was a member of the Task Force Committee, along with the following who also served as chairpersons:

Jose Briones, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.;
Shree Nabar, DAP, Inc.;
Misty W. Huang, OSi Specialties - A Crompton business;
Chukwuma P. Nwaonicha, 3M Engineered Adhesives Div.; and
Robert W. Smith, The ChemQuest Group, Inc.

In addition, Richard Flanagan, Rohm and Haas Co., and Stephen Hupp, Ashland Inc., acted as session chairs.

Members of the manufacturing and product-development industry, including chemists, operations managers, plant professionals, engineers, marketing and technical-service personnel, comprise the convention attendees. Registration totaled 313, (not including spouses), a surprisingly large turnout considering the timing of the meeting.

Networking opportunities throughout the convention and tradeshow encouraged attendees to meet with peers and industry representatives to exchange ideas and information. Three separate receptions were staged, including the Sunday night Welcome Reception, the Monday night Connection Reception and Tuesday's New 'Awlins Hurricane Reception.

The ASC recognizes the corporate sponsors who helped to make the meeting a success. They include Bayer Corp.; DuPont Dow Elastomers, L.L.C.; Eastman Chemical Co.; ExxonMobil Chemical Co.; illbruck Sealant Systems; Process Packaging and Control, Inc.; and Schenectady International, Inc.

Plan Now for the Spring International Meeting

Held in Los Angeles on April 14-17, 2002, the International Convention's theme will be global harmony. As such, it promises to provide an excellent opportunity to interact with members of the industry from around the world. Presentations will be made from regions such as Asia, Canada, Europe and Latin America.

Presentation topics will include:

• Environmental Trends;
  
• New Developments and New Frontiers in Raw Materials and Technology (Hot Melts, Sealants, Waterbornes, PSAs);
  
• End-Use Applications, the Global Market and Customers;
  
• Regulatory Issues, Disaster Management, Global Standards, Labeling, Packaging; and
  
• Global Communications and e-Commerce.

The Spring 2002 Convention Task Force Committee is headed up by Calvin Frost, Channeled Resources, committee chair, and also includes:

• Lance Christell, DuPont Dow Elastomers;
  
• David Dillard, Center for Adhesive and Sealant Science, Virginia Tech;
  
• Don Krabill, Geocel Corp.;
  
• David Nick, DPNA International;
  
• Lawrence Owen, Franklin Adhesives;
  
• Paul Shessler, Raffi and Swanson, Inc.; and
  
• Curt Schmaltz, ECOSYNTHETIX Inc.

Opportunity to Participate in Fall 2002 Event

Plans for the Fall 2002 Convention in Pittsburgh, Oct. 13-16, 2002, are under way. Anyone who is interested in participating as a member of the Task Force Committee should contact Wendy Yanis at 30l-986-9700, ext. 104, or e-mail wendy.yanis@ascouncil.org.

For more information on these and other ASC events, call the ASC at 301-986-9700, or visit its Web site: www.ascouncil.org.